Syria messages UN about Coalition’s war in Raqqa 2017
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syria Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates sent a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to the UN Security Council about the war crimes of the US-led Global Coalition in Syria’s northern city of Raqqa in 2017, Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear that the US military operation in Raqqa to expel ISIS led to the almost “complete destruction of the city and killing thousands of civilians”.
“Time has come to shed light on this humanitarian, political and legal issue,” the letter said.
According to a study released by the Rand Corporation on March 31, based on a Pentagon-commissioned report, the US military could have done more efforts to prevent civilians casualties during the battles against ISIS in the city of Raqqa in 2017.
The Pentagon report had argued then that the US-war against ISIS in Raqqa was a “War of annihilation” due to the lack of formal humanitarian escape corridors and ISIS willingness to use human shields, which formed the overall death toll.
“Syria reserves its right in holding governments of states that were involved with the International Coalition the political, moral and legal responsibility for the crimes perpetrated by the military forces and for the losses and damages that affected the private and public properties,” the letter added.
In 2014, ISIS controlled Raqqa and made it the capital of the Islamic Caliphate. Three years later, the city was liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) backed by the US-led Global Coalition.